Suture dispenser

ABSTRACT

Suture dispensers for retaining armed sutures are disclosed. The dispenser disclosed is comprised of two flat panels of material that each have a central opening. A needle park is provided so that the needle is visible in and accessible though the central openings. In preferred embodiments, the needle park is made of a thin sheet of clear material. Several alternate needle park designs are also disclosed. The two panels are preferably locked together using edge locks in the form of corresponding slits and tabs formed on the panels themselves. In addition to being inexpensive, easy to manufacture and easy to fill, the disclosed dispensers is much thinner than current designs and thus requires less storage and shipping space. Methods of loading dispensers are also disclosed. By winding the suture material in a flat spiral around a set of winding pins, the disclosed dispensers can be easily and accurately filled, yet the resulting coiled suture can be withdrawn via the central openings without twisting or kinking the suture material. In certain embodiments pressure on the central portion of the panels permits winding a spiral without the need for a central winding core. In other embodiments, pins are used to both align the panels and provide a winding guide for the suture material.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/221,678, filed Jun. 6,1994, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to packaging for surgical sutures and,more specifically, relates to dispensers for packaging one or more armedsutures that are spirally wound in the dispenser and have needlespositioned to be accessed through the center of the package.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Surgeons today have a wide variety of sutures from which to choose. Bothtraditional materials such as gut, and newer materials such asabsorbable sutures are available in a number of sizes, and a pre-cutlength of suture material is typically swaged to a needle to create anarmed suture. Several armed sutures are usually provided as part of asterile package. Thus, during surgery, the sterile package is opened toexpose a dispenser holding several armed sutures. It is of coursenecessary to retain the needles in a stable yet easily released mannerso that a needle holder can be armed and provided to the surgeon. Thelocation at which the needle is retained is generally referred to as a"needle park." The removal of the needle and use of the suture shouldnot be impeded by the needle park and the manner in which the suturematerial is retained in the dispenser, nor should the dispenser permitthe suture material to become twisted or kinked.

Originally, sutures were coiled and packaged in paper folders that weresimply unfolded or opened to freely dispense the suture material. Suchpackaging, however, was difficult to fill and close. Also, paperpackages did not present a good base for retaining the needle in aposition where it could be easily accessed by the needle holder. Suturespackaged in paper folders also present disadvantages in handling.

Suture dispensers are known that comprise a plastic tray that forms acircular track in which the suture material is laid. A peelable foilcover overlies the tray and the needles are clipped between the sides ofchannels or similar structures molded into the plastic tray. An exampleof this type of dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,898--Thyenet al. A variation of this type of package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,961,498--Kalinski et al. which discloses a two-piece plastic tray thatdefines an enclosed channel for retaining the suture material. Aone-piece plastic tray that forms a substantially enclosed channel usinga series of moveable locking flaps is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,967,902--Sobel et al. Another design of a plastic tray that provides aneedle park and retains a plurality of armed sutures is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 5,228,565--Sinn.

However, the foregoing packages all suffer from several drawbacks, theprimary being the overall expense of the package. The plastic traysfound in the prior art require precision molded parts and frequentlyrequire time consuming loading methods to deposit a bundle of suturematerial in the outer channel. Closing the package can also be somewhatawkward, as the suture material is frequently resilient enough to springoutwardly from its coiled configuration when not restrained.Additionally, currently available plastic tray-type suture packages arebulkier than an ideal package. This bulkiness is a disadvantage becauseit reduces the number of dispensers that can fit into a given amount ofstorage space.

Thus, there exists a long-felt and unfulfilled need for a suturedispenser that is easily wound with suture material and that provides areliable needle park that overcomes the deficiencies of both the paperfolders and the plastic trays found in the prior art. Accordingly, it isan object of the present invention to provide a suture dispenser that issimple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. It is a furtherobject of the present invention to provide such a package with a centralopening through which the needle is accessed and the suture materialdispensed. It is another object of the present invention to provide adispenser with a needle park disposed in the vicinity of a centralopening with a needle positioned so it is visible and easily accessed,preferably from either side of the package. It is still another objectof the present invention to provide a dispenser that is of a minimumthickness so that the packaging density of a number of dispensers in acontainer is maximized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with these and other objects of the present invention, ithas now beer found that an improved armed suture dispenser can befabricated from two panels of rigid material, one of which contains theneedle park. The simple yet effective design disclosed results in adispenser that is only slightly thicker than the sum of the thicknessesof the suture material, the needle park material and the panelsthemselves. The panels are readily die cut from either paper products orplastic materials and are most preferably wound using a rigid windingfixture that cooperates with the panels to properly wind the suturematerial in a flat spiral without requiring any retaining structureincorporated into the panels themselves.

In accordance with the present invention, two separate pieces ofmaterial are brought together and the suture is coiled in a flat spiralbetween the sandwich. The outward spiral places each suture loopconcentrically around the next. This is desirable because it preventsknotting or tangling. Additionally, the two dimensional character of thepackage allows for more product in less space. Finally, the centraldispensing opening and needle park allow operating room personnel to seethe entire needle, thereby helping to prevent inadvertent needlesticks.

Improvements in needle parks are also disclosed. Various laminations offilm and other materials can be used to retain a needle using pressure.Additionally, foam, glue dots or molded portions can be adhered to thepanels of the dispenser that conform to portions of the needle and actto keep the needle in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an armed suture dispenser madein accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 1A-1D are plan views, partially broken away and enlarged planviews of several embodiments of needle parks for the dispenserillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 1E-1F are perspective views, partially broken away and enlarged,of additional embodiments of needle parks for the dispenser illustratedin FIG. 1;

FIGS. 1G-1H are, respectively, cross-sectional and plan views of anotherembodiment of a needle park for the dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 1J is a partially broken away perspective view of an embodiment ofa needle park for the dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 2A-2B are plan views of the top and bottom panel used to form thedispenser illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view, similar to FIG. 1, of analternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view, also similar to FIG. 1, ofanother alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A-5D are a series of perspective views illustrating the steps ofwinding an armed suture into a dispenser made in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIGS. 6A-6D are a series of perspective views similar to FIGS. 5A-5Dillustrating another preferred method of winding suture material inaccordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate an alternate embodiment of a suture dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an exploded perspective view ofa preferred embodiment of a needle dispenser made in accordance with thepresent invention. The dispenser is shown retaining an armed suture 50that has a curved needle 52 affixed to its distal end. The dispenser isprimarily comprised of two flat panels 100, 110. The panels 100, 110 maybe made from any suitable material such as cardboard or similar paperproducts, or any of a number of types of plastic materials that can bemade into a thin, relatively stiff sheet. Most preferably, the panels100, 110 are flat and are manufactured by die cutting from a largerpiece of stock. In accordance with preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, each panel 100, 110 is provided with a central opening 102,112 that provides an access point through which the needle 52 may beloaded on to a needle holder. As explained in further detail below, theopenings 102, 112 are not necessarily in registration when the panels100, 110 are brought together to form the dispenser. One opening may belarger than the other, or may be positioned differently so that when thepackage is assembled, part of the surface of one of the panels 100, 110extends across one of the openings.

Also visible in FIG. 1 are the edge locks 104, 114 that are preferablyprovided to retain the panels 100, 110 together to form a dispensingpackage. The design and implementation of the edge locks 104, 114 willbe familiar to those of skill in the art. Typically, as illustrated inFIG. 1, a series of convoluted cuts 104 are made in a first panel 100that will create a tab when displaced from the plane of the panel 100.The second panel 110 is provided with slits 114 that will be in registrywith the tabs of the first panel 100 when the panels are assembled. Thegeometry of the tab 104 and slit 114 is chosen so that they interlock orotherwise cooperate to retain the panels 100, 110 together to form adispenser package. It will be understood, however, that a wide varietyof edge lock designs could be provided to achieve the same result, theseinclude both other types of edge locks 104, 114 cut and folded from thematerial of the panels 100, 110 themselves, as well as adhesives, stripsof tape, staples or other mechanical fasteners. Other alternateembodiments or equivalent edge locks in addition to molding the panelswith cooperating parts that lock or snap include heat sealing orultrasonic sealing of the edges of the panels either intermittently orcontinuously or using an adhesive or a cohesive applied eitherintermittently or continuously around the edges of the panels.Additionally, one panel can be formed with slots or similar openingsthat receive bendable tabs that extend from another panel made of foilor a shape retaining plastic material. In such embodiments the panels100, 110 can also be fastened together by placing the panels in registryand punching or deforming parts of the panels. Thus, it will beunderstood that the term "edge locks" is meant to be defined broadly andis not limited to the tab and slit construction illustrated.

Also visible in FIG. 1 are the fixture holes 106, 116 in the panels 100,110 that are used in certain embodiments. Upon assembly of the panels100, 110 the fixture holes 106 in the first panel 100 are in substantialregistration with the fixture holes 116 in the second panel 110. Asexplained in further detail below, the fixture holes 106, 116 aredesigned to cooperate with upstanding pins that are part of a windingfixture so that the suture material can be wound inside the dispenser.The winding fixture provides a set of rigid points over which the suturematerial can be wound. After the dispenser is filled, the fixture iseasily withdrawn. However, the fixture holes 106, 116 are not necessaryin all embodiments. In certain embodiments, pressure alone in thecentral portion of the panels 100, 110 will permit the winding describedin detail below to be efficiently and effectively accomplished. As willbe readily understood by those of ordinary skill, pressure pads can bedesigned that will urge the central portions of the panels 100, 110together and sufficient force can be applied to the pads so that thesuture material can be spirally wound without the need for pins orfixtures that penetrate the panels 100, 110.

Another aspect of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 is theneedle park 150 that retains the needle 52 in a position to be loadedinto a needle holder. As illustrated, the needle 52 is most preferablydisposed in a location across the central openings 102, 112 describedabove. The needle park 150 can be of a number of different designs. Forexample, a "pocket" can be created by adhering a piece of thin flexiblematerial, such as polyethylene or a similar suitable plastic material toa surface of one of the panels 100, 110. Thus, as illustrated in FIG.1A, a strip of material 152 may be adhered by adhesives or welding attwo parallel edges 151, 153 to form the needle park 150. If desired, athird edge 154 can also be adhered to form a closed pocket.Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, a piece of material that iscoated with an adhesive, i.e., a piece of tape 155, can also function asthe needle park. The tape 155 seals around the needle 52 and retains itin place. Another alternative needle park is illustrated in FIG. 1C. Asshown, the needle 52 is retained by a drop of an adhesive material 157,such as hot melt glue. Although the needle 52 is firmly held in place,the bond between the smooth metal surface of the needle 52 and thehardened adhesive 157 is easily broken if the amount of adhesive is notexcessive and care is taken when mounting the needle 52. Still anotherembodiment of a needle park is illustrated in FIG. 1D, where a strip offoam 159 is illustrated that retains the needle as shown by insertingthe needle through the foam 159.

Additional needle parks useful in the present invention are illustratedin FIGS. 1E-1H.

FIGS. 1E and 1F illustrate needle parks wherein small plastic portionsare molded directly onto the surface of one of the panels 100, 110 usinga process known as "outsert" molding. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1Ea first molded portion 160 and a second molded portion 161 cooperate toform a resilient structure that will firmly grip the needle 52 yetpermit its release. Most preferable a tip block 162 is also provided toprevent the needle 52 from twisting within the package. An alternateembodiment, illustrated in FIG. 1F, uses one or more snap blocks 164and, most preferably, also includes a tip block 162. The snap blocks aredesigned to accept the needle and retain it against movement duringstorage, but are sufficiently resilient to permit the needle 52 to beeasily removed.

The needle park illustrated in FIGS. 1G-1H is comprised of two layers ofmaterial and is similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B to thisextent. However, this embodiment uses thermosetting plastic to form aneedle park that does not conform as closely to the outer surface of theneedle. As seen in cross-section in FIG. 1G, the needle 52 is sandwichedbetween a relatively stiff panel 110 and a layer of relatively resilientshrink wrap material 170. The application of heat causes the resilientmaterial 170 to draw taut, but not conform to the needle 52. Thus, asseen most clearly in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1G, the needle 52is held between these two layers, but the top layer does not conform toa substantial portion of the needle 52, which is instead held by thecompressive force generated by the tension between the two layers ofmaterial 110, 170. However, in alternate embodiments, other types ofthermosetting plastic films such as "skin wrap" plastic film can beemployed to produce a needle park that conforms more closely to theneedle 52.

Finally referring to FIG. 1J, another alternate embodiment of a needlepark is shown. In this embodiment, a clear wrap material 172 that isthermoformable is used to retain the needle. The panel 110 is providedwith an access hole 111 that permits a vacuum to be drawn that will drawthe material 172 into close conformance with the needle 52. After thisstep, the area covered by the material 172 is compressed with a hot,resilient pad that thermoforms the material 172 into a shape that willhold the needle in place. Most preferably, the vacuum is sufficient todraw some of the material 172 into the hole 111 so that a point offixation is achieved at this location, which is most preferably locatedunder the body of the needle 52.

In addition to the embodiments of the needle park illustrated, those ofskill in the art will realize that a number of different types of tabs,slots or other features can be cut from the surfaces of the panels 100,110 to provide a structure that retains the needle 52 or provides anadjunct to a needle park such as those made in accordance with theembodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1D. In any embodiment, however, itwill be appreciated that the central openings 102, 112 permit the needle52 to be accessed from either side of the dispenser, therebyfacilitating use by either left handed or right handed operating roompersonnel.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2B, a plan view of the panels 100, 110 of thedispenser shown in FIG. 1 are illustrated. As explained above, eachpanel 100, 100 is provided with a central opening 102, 112. In thisview, two styles of the edge locks are illustrated. First, as describedabove, a set of convoluted cuts 104 form tabs that will cooperate withslits 114 to lock the longitudinal edges of the panels 100, 110.Additionally, a hole 214 and circular tab 204 is provided on each edge.These will lock the edges when the circular tabs 214 are displaced fromthe panel 110 and inserted into the holes 204. Also illustrated are twopairs of corresponding fixture holes 106, 116 and a slit 108 thatretains the proximal end of the suture after it has been wound.

An alternate embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention isillustrated in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the needle park 250 is a"sandwich" needle park that retains the needle 52 between the two panels100, 110, leaving a portion protruding into the central openings 102,112. In this embodiment, the central opening 102 in the top panel 100 islarger than the central opening 112 in the lower panel 110. The materialof the needle park 250 extends across the central opening 102 in the toppanel 100 and upon assembly is backed by an uncut portion of the lowerpanel 110. The material used to form the needle park 250 in thisembodiment can be coated with adhesive or cohesive on the opposing facesof the strips that are on either side of the needle 52, or can be usedwithout an adhesive or cohesive, relying on friction to retain theneedle 52. Although it is preferred that the needle park 250 be formedof a transparent plastic material, it may also be formed of a strip offoam material and the needle inserted into the foam. In other preferredembodiments, the needle park 250 can be formed from a cut and/or foldedsection of cardboard or other material and provide a structure forretaining the needle. Such embodiments will have a greater thicknessthan other embodiments, but will provide a stiffer central section,which may be necessary for some applications.

FIG. 3 also illustrates another embodiment of the edge locks 104, 114described above. In this embodiment, C-shaped slits 104 are cut in thetop panel 100 and corresponding holes 114 are cut in the lower panel110. To lock the panels together, the cut sections of the slits 104 aredisplaced and inserted through the holes 114 and bent back toward theiroriginal position.

Another alternate embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 4. In this embodiment, a variation of the "sandwich" needle park isused. The top panel 100 again has a larger central opening 102 and a topportion of the needle park 352 is disposed across a portion of theopening 102. A lower portion of the needle park 354 is disposed adjacentthe central opening 112 in the lower panel 110. The lower portion 354 ispreferably constructed in a manner similar to that described above withreference to FIG. 1 and is essentially a pocket in which the needle 52resides. Preferably, both portions of the needle park 352, 354 arecomprised of a clear plastic film such as Mylar®. In this embodiment,the lower portion 354 retains the needle during initial handling andduring preliminary assembly steps. When the dispenser is fullyassembled, the upper portion 352 reinforces the needle park area, butwhen a clear material is used, the entire needle 52 remains visible fromat least one side of the dispenser.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, one advantage of the dispensers ofthe present invention is that they may be efficiently filled in anautomated or semi-automated manner in accordance with another aspect ofthe present invention. FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate some of the fixtures andrelated equipment used to carry out the sequence of filling andfinishing a dispenser made in accordance with one embodiment of themethods of the present invention. FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective viewof a fixture 10 that comprises a base plate 12 and several upstandingwinding pins 14. The fixture 10 is preferably attached to a rotatableshaft 20. As shown in FIG. 5B, the bottom panel 110 of a dispenser ispaced on the winding pins 14 and the needle 52 of an armed suture 50 isparked or otherwise retained at or around the central opening 112. Thesuture material is then wound in the manner shown in FIG. 5C. Theproximal end or "tail" of the suture material 51 is held with downwardpressure and the rotatable shaft 20 is turned so that the suturematerial is formed into a flat coil on the inside surface of the lowerpanel 110. After winding is complete, as shown in FIG. 5D, the top panel100 is placed over the pins. At this point, the edge locks 104, 114 areengaged using an appropriate tool and the proximal end of the suture 51is pulled through a slit 108 preferably formed in the top panel 100 toretain it in place, as shown.

Another embodiment of the methods of the present invention isillustrated in FIGS. 6A-6D. As mentioned above, it is not alwaysnecessary to provide alignment pins or similar structures that form acentral core around which the suture material is wound. Thus, referringfirst to FIG. 6A, it can be seen that in this embodiment, a fixturecomprising a base plate 212 with a central pressure pad 214 is provided.The central pressure pad 214 may be of the raised design shown or may beof a different geometry or formed as several smaller sections. As seenin FIG. 6B, the process of loading a first panel 110 is similar to thatdescribed above with reference to FIG. 5B, except there are no pins toprovide registry. As seen in FIG. 6C a second base plate 216 is placedatop the panels 100, 110 with the needle and suture disposedtherebetween. The second plate 216 also most preferably includes apressure pad, as described above. The distal end 51 of the suture isagain held in pension and compressive pressure is applied to force theplates 212, 216 together. The compressed fixture is then rotated whilethe suture material is held in tension, resulting in a spiral woundpackage. As seen in FIG. 6D, the package is again completed by retainingthe proximal tip 51 of the suture material using for example, a slit108, and locking the edges of the package as necessary.

Thus, the dispenser of the present invention also provides methods forfilling a suture dispenser wherein the suture material is stored in aflat spiral. The advantage of this feature is that since the needle isheld in a central dispensing opening, twisting, kinking, knotting ortangling of the suture material is during withdrawal is precluded.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7D, there is shown another embodiment of asuture dispenser 300 that is also useful with the above-describedwinding methods. FIG. 7A is a plan view of a top panel 302 thatcomprises the label side component of the dispenser 300. A clear plasticwindow 304 is stretched across a central opening 306 in the panel. Thetop panel 302 cooperates with a bottom panel 308 shown in FIG. 7B. Thebottom panel 308 also has a central opening 310, and a paper tab 312 iscut in the panel as an extension of the opening. The central opening 306in the top panel is generally at least partially in registration withthe paper tab 312, although most preferably both central openings 306,310 will be in registration upon assembly.

To form a suture dispenser, the two panels 302, 308 are brought togetherand a needle is disposed between the plastic window 304 and the papertab 312. Until this step of assembly, the paper tab 312 has been held inplace by tie points 314 that comprise uncut sections connecting thepaper tab 312 to the bottom panel 308. These tie points 314 are nowbroken, the paper tab 310 is urged into the plastic window 304 and heatsealed to form a needle park.

As seen in cross-section in FIG. 7C, if the clear window 304 is on theoutside (label side) of the top panel 302, the paper tab 312 is heatsealed along its edges. Alternatively, if the clear window 304 isdisposed on the inside surface of the top panels, as seen in FIG. 7D,the paper tab 312 actually pushes the film between its edges and theedges of the central opening 306 in the top panel 302. In eitherembodiment, however, the needle 52 is held by pressure underneath theclear window film 304 as shown. As mentioned above, the degree withwhich the clear window film conforms to the needle can be determined bythe selection of the film material. As known in the art, certainthermosetting films shrink to create a taut surface, while other filmsform a surface that shrinks and also conforms to the surface itoverlies. This embodiment of the present invention can be used witheither type of thermosetting film, although film that conforms to theneedle ("skin wrap") is preferred.

The advantages of this form of dispenser are that the clear window 304is applied to the top panel 302, which is normally comprised of paper,prior to any winding operations. The paper tab 312 is formed of thematerial of the bottom panel, which is typically more rigid. As aresult, only two components need to be handled at a winding station, andthe winding operation is thus more efficient.

Although certain embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described in detail, these embodiments are meant toillustrate the invention and are not exhaustive. Those of skill in theart, upon review of the foregoing specification, will realize that anumber of alternate embodiments, variations or modification of themethods and apparatus disclosed are readily made that do not depart fromthe general principles of the invention. Accordingly, reference shouldbe had to the appended claims in order to determine the full scope ofthe present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispenser for sutures comprising:a first,individual, separate, substantially flat panel comprising a centralopening and edge locks, said panel having a top and a bottom; a second,individual, separate, substantially flat panel comprising a centralopening and edge locks, said second panel having a top and bottomwherein said first panel is mounted to said second panel such that thebottom of the first panel is adjacent to the top of the second panel;and a needle park disposed adjacent the central opening of one of thefirst and second panels, wherein the edge locks cooperate to retain thefirst panel against the second panel.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1,wherein the needle park comprises at least one strip of materialdisposed adjacent the central opening of at least one of the first andsecond panels.
 3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the strip ofmaterial comprises a transparent material.
 4. The dispenser of claim 2,wherein the strip of material further comprises a surface covered withan adhesive material.
 5. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the strip ofmaterial further comprises a surface covered with a cohesive material.6. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the strip of material furthercomprises a surface covered with a thermoformable material.
 7. Thedispenser of claim 2, wherein the strip of material further comprises asurface covered with a heat shrink material.
 8. The dispenser of claim 2comprising a first strip of material disposed adjacent the centralopening of the first panel and a second strip of material disposedadjacent the central opening of the second panel.
 9. The dispenser ofclaim 1 wherein the central opening of the first panel is a differentsize than the central opening in the second panel, whereby when thepanels are placed in registration, a portion of one of the panelsoverlies at least part of one of the central openings.
 10. The dispenserof claim 1 wherein the central opening of the first panel is disposed ina different location than the central opening in the second panel,whereby when the panels are placed in registration, a portion of one ofthe panels overlies at least part of one of the central openings. 11.The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the needle park comprises at least oneretainer molded directly on to at least one of the first and secondpanels.
 12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the retainer comprises ablock for restraining a distal tip of a needle.
 13. The dispenser ofclaim 11 wherein the retainer comprises a first resilient member and asecond member adjacent thereto, wherein the needle is provided with afriction fit between the first and second member.
 14. A needle andsuture contained in a dispenser comprising:a first, individual,separate, substantially flat panel comprising a central opening and edgelocks, said panel having a top and a bottom; a second, individual,separate, substantially flat panel comprising a central opening and edgelocks, said second panel having a top and a bottom, wherein said firstpanel is mounted to said second panel such that the bottom of the firstpanel is adjacent to the top of the second panel; and, a needle parkdisposed adjacent the central opening of one of the first and secondpanels, wherein the edge locks on the first and second panels cooperateto retain the first panel against the second panel.
 15. The needle andsuture contained in a dispenser of claim 14, wherein the first panelcomprises a central opening partially covered by a layer of plasticfilm; and the second panel comprises a paper tab, wherein the paper tabis detached from the second panel and heat sealed against the plasticfilm to form a needle park.